In your Arms, I Lay
by sleepdeprivedsoul
Summary: A visit in the night by the King of Hell discloses the unnerving truth behind the contact. Ciel learns the necessity of reading between the lines, for not all is what it seems.
1. Chapter 1

In your Arms, I Lay

By: sleepdeprivedsoul

Summary: A visit in the night by the King of Hell discloses the unnerving truth behind the contact. Ciel learns the necessity of reading between the lines, for not all is what it seems

Prologue

Strangers in the Night

As with all dreams, it started without rhyme or reason. He was dumped in the middle of a scene, so familiar it was that no script or any type of rehearsal was needed to carry it on. And like a veteran actor playing his role, he plunged right in with no prompting, retracing his steps and reciting words that were already said a hundred times before.

The view was devastating, even after all this time. Fear and despair clung to his heart and filled his mind to the brim that it left little else for him to function. All that was left was the overwhelming need to see his father and mother, to be once again engulfed in their strong and protective arms and to be carried far, far away from this unending nightmare.

Smoke filled his vision and he struggled to move on, to put one foot in front of the other despite the dim visibility. He extended his arms as far as they would go in front of him, like a blind man would in unfamiliar surroundings, despite the fact that it was his home…the one he spent most of his life in. The scorching heat of the flames travelling through the walls made him quick to retract them, however, and every once in a while he would place his hand in a fist in front his face in a coughing fit as the smoke got thicker and invaded his nostrils.

"Mama! Papa!" His voice would come out weak and feeble. It barely penetrated the fiery hell that enclosed him, yet still he pushed on. All around him he could hear the groaning of wood, as it shook in its foundations. The paintings that once hung imposingly on the walls were curling in on itself as the fire licked at its edges. Debris littered the ground as a sign of a great struggle that once took place there, and once or twice he felt the crunching underneath his feet as he stepped on what were once priceless vases. The increasing heat that enveloped him, the lack of any living person in the area, and having his way blocked more than once by fallen timbre all served to amplify the panic that gripped him in a choking hold. In his panic, he disregarded caution and hurtled through the open spaces left to him, running as fast as his short legs could carry him, until finally he came upon a closed door. It led to the sun room where his mother was so fond of holding their tea parties whenever the weather outside was so disagreeable, he vaguely recalled. And wherever his mother was, his father was sure to be found. With a great burst of hope, he clutched the knob and sprang into the room, relief filling him immediately upon spotting his father sitting calmly in his favorite armchair, despite the great roaring flames all around him.

"Papa!" he cried in delight, taking two more steps into the room before stopping dead in his tracks upon finally catching sight of the figure standing imposingly by his father's side. The glitter of the knife that she held firmly in her hand and the sight his father's mutilated face had him screaming and dropping to the floor in anguish and denial.

"Papa! Mama! Noooooooooooo!!!!!!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He awoke with a gasp, staring blankly at the familiar canopy of his bed. It was still dark out he discovered, although faint tendrils of light had already crept in through the tiny gaps in the curtains. As he struggled to catch his breath, he absentmindedly rubbed at his chest, easing the tightness that was so often found there after nights such as this. Something warm and wet trailed down his cheeks and his panting breaths morphed into strangling hiccups which he fought to suppress. After all, he was far from the helpless child he was before. He had climbed from the dark abyss of his past reaching out and seizing that faint glimmer of hope on the form of crimson eyes and malicious smiles. Crying had no place in his present life. Crying can do nothing. It cannot resurrect the dead. It cannot turn back the hands of time. It only brought about feelings of despair and helplessness. It certainly does not help in dishing out his revenge.

The soft slick of silk upon silk brought back his awareness of his surroundings in a sudden slam. Immediately he froze, eyes darting out in every shadowed corner of the room, trying to penetrate it gloomy interior while his right hand slid unobtrusively under his pillow until he was able to grasp the comforting cold metal of his pistol.

"Who's there?" No trace of fear can be found in his voice despite his vulnerable position. Instead, it came out firm, angry, and demanding. In the back of his mind he wondered where Sebastian was and why he had let an intruder sneak into his manor undetected.

"I apologize if I disturbed your slumber. That was never my intention. Although with the way you moaned and cried in your sleep, I doubt if it was anything peaceful."

"Bastard." Shame burned a hot glow on his cheeks and he pushed himself up on his elbows so he could better locate the source of that smooth voice.

Footsteps came from his right and he swiveled to face there just as the light slowly illuminated the room, reaching out first to touch the toes of a black shiny boot, before gradually extending upwards until it brought the face of the trespasser to light. He was dressed like a gentleman, in fine coat and breeches. The way he held himself and the arrogant tilt of his head even spoke of nobility. The strong cheekbones, the chilling eyes of icy blue and the tousled arrangement of auburn curls upon his head painted a handsome picture, if not for the condescending smirk playing on his lips.

"I just wanted to see the little human that has my younger brother so captivated that he has neglected his duties in our world."

_Human._

The contempt in that word did not remain unnoticed, nor the appraising eyes that ran intimately over his body. He stiffened in response and brought himself up on a sitting position, facing the stranger, taking no notice of his own state of undress. He did not cower in front of Sebastian then despite being caught in his lowest, and he will not cower in front of some unknown demon now! Swiftly, he brought his pistol out and trained it unerringly at his unwanted visitor, even knowing that guns were no use against his kind.

"I ask again, who are you and how dare you trespass in my room?!"

"Forgive me. It appears I have been remiss with my manners. I have been called by many names, but the one I believe you would be most familiar with would be Lucifer." In spite of his words, there was no true remorse in his tone. Instead, his eyes danced with barely hidden amusement.

"Lucifer? The fallen angel? The one who betrayed God?" He could not help but let incredulity slip in.

"The one and the same. Also the reigning King of Hell. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Ciel Phantomhive." He replied with a regal dip of his head.

Tbc

AN: Please review! Constructive criticisms welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

In Your Arms, I Lay

By: sleepdeprivedsoul

A/N: Terribly sorry for the lateness of this chapter. You might now want to hear my excuses, but I'll tell you guys anyway. The reason why this was so delayed is that I had to move halfway around the world for my job. If that wasn't enough, I was already required to take their own version of the national board exams since apparently, my license to work wasn't enough. (Blergh!) Needless to say, it was quite a busy few months for me.

I am so _very thankful_ though to all you people who still stuck with me through all this. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I wanted to revise it and add a little more to it, but I figured I'd never post it if I had to wait. So, here you go! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2

Frigid blue eyes narrowed in suspicion and contempt met his words. Despite the fact that he introduced himself as the King of the Underworld, the root and cause of all that is evil and miserable in this world, he could not detect even the slightest change in the others demeanor, or even the smallest hint of fear from his eyes. Instead the child bore his curious regard head on, chin jutted out in defiance, shoulders and back held arrogantly as if _he_ should be the one in awe of his presence.

What a truly interesting child you are. I can see why my little brother is so taken with you.

Not a second after the words have passed through his mouth did a shot ring out, the bullet narrowly missing his head by a few centimeters. His temple throbbed for a second with the burn of the swift passage of the bullet before his supernatural healing abilities kicked in and the pain receded of its own accord.

Do _not_ call me a child!

With a lift of his right brow he commented wryly, And are you not one? I dont think humans have evolved so far to consider someone of your stature to be an adult already.

Another warning shot was fired, and this time, Ciel was not shy of hitting his mark. It wouldve caused him considerable damage were it not for the fact that he was a demon, and thus, was quite impervious to human inventions.

Really! How rude! And here I was trying to be nice out of consideration of my little brothers feelings, Lucifer declared in mock distress while slowly advancing upon the figure in bed. Ciel watched his advance with cold, determined eyes, bracing himself for the demons retaliation.

A blink of his eyes was all it took for the demon to reach his side in an instant and push him down to bed, on hand tightly grasping his neck in a chokehold.

Little boys like you should learn to be a little more respectful of your _superiors_.

The tingling of his senses was all the warning he had before a ball of crackling pure black matter was hurdled in his direction. He barely had time to teleport himself away to avoid getting hit. Unlike human inventions, materials made up of spiritual energy _could_ seriously hurt and ultimately kill his kind.

Id appreciate it _brother_ if you stopped messing with things that do not belong to you.

A dark chuckle. So you finally graced us with your presence.

A single glance at the demon of the manor showed that all was not right with the other. Sebastians eyes were half-lidded and glazed. He was panting slightly and his cheeks were suffused with warmth. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were in a disarray, as if he just got up on bed and put his clothes on in a hurry.

I see it has started. In rapid footsteps, Lucifer crossed to the other side of the room, where Sebastian held himself up barely

He ran a critical eyes on the other before stating quite curtly, Quick! We must return to the castle

You are mistaken, brother, I have already chosen the one who I will bringing to my bed.

Lucifer stared at the other in incomprehension before sliding his eyes upon the only other occupant of the room. You must be joking!

With difficulty, Sebastian straightened up and met his brothers eyes with conviction. Brother, let me introduce you to Earl Ciel Phantomhive, Head of the Phantomhive household, my mate.


	3. Chapter 3

In Your Arms, I Lay

By: sleepdeprivedsoul

A/N: I'm so shocked a lot of people are still reading this story even though I haven't updated in years! Special thanks to lilyoftheval5, ishala8, -w- easy enough (sorry, couldn't show his sarcastic wit much here), Kyprish Prophetess, BB, Petit Minet, Nightblue, The Beauty of Insanity (love your name), petitcuppycake, yi-chan, chu chu banato, Dark Angel of Fire Ice, LovelyDescet, she who steals souls, Koolneko22, Doctor Faustus, candice, Kalana Fox, TwilightTsuki, -Sayume-, l.o.l.l.i.a.t.e - d.a.r.k, ying9 (hope your sanity survived my years' absence), Her Majesty Lady Yumiko, FoolForThought, Starkmaddness, NekoPixelz, Rikkali (sorry Luce is taken already, much as I would love a love triangle), tenkage onna, Inukaru, Tisshu, pixi, miss-abarai (H-Hai! Here you go mam!), Miss Storyholic, Wasabi-sama, arienrhod, chidasvinta. So glad you guys enjoyed it and thanks for your comments! =) Btw, this is not edited yet. Sorry.

I especially enjoyed how people just couldn't get over Ciel being Sebby's mate. Hehehe! How I wish he really is so in the cannonverse. (sighs!) Sorry about the lack of appropriate quotation marks. I didn't realize when I posted it then. My real chapter 2 _so_ have them in my computer! Thanks for pointing it out. Didn't want to give others false hope if I take it down and put the edited version up, thinking there's a new chapter already. Also, very sorry for the _late_ update. It takes a while for inspiration to hit me enough to actually get something done instead of the half-assed chapters I originally made. Excuses, excuses I know. As for my other stories... (hides under a rock).

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 3

Incredulity did not even begin to describe what he felt at this moment. After that alarming scene in his bedroom hours ago, they were now converged in study, safely secluded from potential prying eyes and calmly sipping from slightly steaming teas. He would've found it greatly disturbing, how they could shift moods so easily if he wasn't already used to the spontaneous bursts of chaos that visited his life now and then. Still, it was quite a sight to see, the self-proclaimed _King of Hell_ who just tried to kill him a couple minutes ago, lounging in one of his armchairs as if he were the master of the house and not the other way around! With difficulty, he squished the irritation he felt at that to focus on the matter at hand.

As soon as Sebastian regained his seat after taking his own cup of tea, he wasted no time in getting down to business and clarifying some interesting declarations.

"Sebastian. Explain."

Lucifer raised his brow in an elegant arch at the terse and commanding tone but remained silent, gazing at Sebastian and waiting for him to speak.

Sebastian appeared discomfited, the first time Ciel has seen him to be so. It wasn't anything overt. His movements were still graceful save from a minor languidness probably brought about by whatever illness has afflicted him. His eyes were sharp, steadily and unflinchingly meeting Lucifer's, his shoulders set, his chin not quite jutting out but tilted in a way to demonstrate resolve, as if he expected opposition from the other male. "It is as I have said, I have chosen Ciel as my intended."

Here he lifted the palm of his hand, the back of it facing Lucifer as he took off the glove that encased it with his teeth and showing off the mark of their contract. Ciel was tempted to express his confusion and resulting annoyance at his butler's words and actions, but a sharp look from Sebastian made him bite his tongue. Reluctantly, he raised his own arms to the back of his head to untie his eye patch and slowly blinked his right eye open, exposing its match. He gazed into bright crimson orbs, trying to decipher what the other man was thinking and conveying the silent message that after they got rid of their _guest_,they were going to have a _very_ long talk. The other didn't so much as flinch, not that he expected him to. It's not like a human can pose much threat to a demon, he thought bitterly to himself, even though he was the supposed master. After all, his position is only a means to an end for Sebastian.

The sudden intake of breath from the other occupant of the room forced him to break his contact and to turn to the other man. However, the split second it took him to do so already gave the other enough time to compose himself. Instead, he was met with a curiously blank look and the softly spoken words, "I see."

_Well, I don't,_ he wanted to scream but refrained himself from doing so, lest he appear childish and immature.

"I must confess my bewilderment over your choice of...mates," here he threw a disdainful look at Ciel, which made his hackles rise. He suddenly had the strong urge have Sebastian fetch him his rifle so he could shoot the bastard where it would sure hurt the most. Surely even demons would be affected when injured there? "However, I respect your choice."

Sebastian didn't miss the insult intended, and he stiffened unnaturally in his seat. "Of course. It is mine to make." Frost laced his words and it appeared as if the room was plunged under the ice cold waters of the arctic sea.

Surprisingly the other erupted into full blown laughter. And despairing it may be, it only seemed to add to the other's already ethereal beauty. It was unfair that demons with their black hearts and appetites for pain and suffering should appear so attractive.

"Alright. Fair enough. I guess I can't say anything without appearing to be a hypocrite considering my own love interest."

With those words, it's as if the tension was bled from the room. Sebastian relaxed significantly, going so far as to lean comfortable against the high back, amusement dancing in his eyes."And how is dear Micheal?"

"Still a pain in the ass. And I mean that literally, as well as figuratively."

Amazingly, they both broke into hearty laughter after that statement. As they continued on gossiping after some person of another, Ciel couldn't help but feel lost. _What? Were they bosom buddies now or something?_

Irritably, he rose to his feet and loudly proclaimed, "I'll be in my room."

He had to escape the madness of those two men. His mind simply could not keep up with their lunacy. Best he remove himself before he becomes affected as well. Before leaving, he paused on the threshold to send a warning glance to Sebastian, who only dipped his head in response. He left with a slam of the door.

Instantly, like a switch, the smiles fell from their faces. "Now then," ice blue eyes turned to regard Sebastian coldly. "I believe it is time for you to end this charade and fulfill your contract as you were supposed to, don't you agree?"

Sebastian wearily slumped into his seat, sinking more deeply into the cushions. It was as if their earlier brief conversation had drained what energy he had. "But he's still so young; merely 15 summers. I could wai-"

"No you can't and you know it!" Lucifer cut in abruptly. Then his expression softened. "With the way you're going, you won't even reach the end of spring."

He gave the other a rueful look. "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am! I'm your older brother and I'm _always_ right." He gave a haughty sniff. "Now, I expect you home in a week's time. No more. No less. We still need to present your little mate to society. After that, there's a the joining ceremony to plan. And then the mating. I won't have my brother keeling over just because it took him this long to court his intended."

Sebastian valiantly resisted the urge to roll his eyes, though he couldn't quite hide the exasperated look on his features. "Fine. Fine. We'll be there."

Lucifer narrowed his eyes in warning but refrained from further comment."Very well, I shall see you then." He stood up and walked briskly to the other end of the room. As he did so, shadows abruptly sprung up where there were none and swiftly moved up his form engulfing his whole body. Before completely disappearing from sight, Sebastian called out, "Luce,"

He then brought himself to his feet then bowed low. "Your Majesty, thank you for accepting my choice"

The other paused but did not turn to look back. "I hope you realize the difficulties you've brought upon yourself, little brother. They will not be pleased."


End file.
